Funeral services were held here today for top Israeli nuclear scientist, Prof. Saadia Amiel, who died of cancer at the age of 48. Defense Minister Ezer Weizman, Labor Party leader Shimon Peres and notable scientists and members of the security establishment attended the funeral for Amiel who had served as a top military advisor to the Defense Ministry.
Arriving in Palestine as a child from Bialistock, Poland, Amiel attended the Herzlia high school in Tel Aviv. Upon graduation he enrolled at the physics department of the Hebrew University and later on at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot. The young scholar soon was noticed for his brilliant work. He was recruited to work at the nuclear research laboratories at Nahal Sorek and succeeded in turning it into a full-time isotopes-producing laboratory for medical research and industrial use.
Over the years Amiel was head of various international agencies on physics and nuclear physics and an advisor to the International Atomic Energy Commission. He also served as professor of physics at the Hebrew University. His career was highlighted by his devotion to security problems of Israel. From 1971 he was scientific advisor to various defense ministers. He was involved in Israel’s social and political life and was a member of the Labor Party.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
